The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-05
MAKING VALENTINES.
The Various Processes Through
Which They Are put Poetry
Written by the Yard.

Written by the Yard.
The average citizen is not apt to re-
ceive com valentine descriptive OF
his principal fault or weakness with
any degree of pleasure, says writer in
The Brooklyn Eagle. He oftener gets
mad and in some cases searches for the
sender. A factory in this city has dur
ing the past ten months, turned out fif-
teen million comic and five million sem
timental valentines. With such advan-
tages practical jokers and lovers will
have plenty of material with which to
work on Feb. IA, Valentines birthday.
The former prevalent custom of vent
ing petty spite by sending comic
valentine has comparatively died out in
the eastern and and middle states.
West of the Mississippi river the valen-
tine has however, ready sale.
recently paid visit to the above
mentioned factory. The many opera
tons through which toy-books and
valentines pass before they are ready to
be delivered to the retailer are interest
ing. The first floor of the factory is
occupied by paper-cutting and emboss-
ing machines. The paper on which
valentines are printed is received from
the manufacturer d rect, and is not in
a condition for use. 1t must be cut in
pieces, 4x2l feet, and on which are
stamped sixteen comic valentines. After
being cut, the paper is taken to the sec
ond floor and printed. Three hundred
out of the four hundred employees in
the factory are women and girls. While
the majority OF the work is done by
skilled labor, some departments are OPP
Grated wholly by machinery.
On the sixth or top floor half dozen
artists draw the pictures used in valen'
| tines and tov-books. After n drawing
is made and photographed the mega
| tive is coated with solution and eX-
posed to the sun. The negative is
again coated, this time with Telegraph
ic ink, and placed in a basin of water
barely deep enough to cover it. The
ink is washed of, except that part OF
the plate on which the drawing has
been photographed. The negative is
| then ready for the ctcher. The etching
process is too well known to bear re-
| peating here. After the drawing has
been etched on Il zinc plate it is ready
for the press. The operation by which
rough zinc is made smooth is interest
ing. The zinc is placed under nova
bic emory paper, which are changed
half hourly. These papes vary from
hard to soft. The constant friction of
the emory wears away the zinc so that
in time it becomes rs smooth as glass.
/ Seven papers. differing "a quail " aud
thickness, are used in the operation.
superintendent Thompson estimated
! that the firm owned $50. 900 steel and
zinc plates. 1t must not be supposed
tthat valentine can be struck oil com.
! petc by one impression. In some cases
valentines pass through no less than a
dozen impressions. Each impression
adds different shade or color to the
picture Take. for example. drawing
| OF machinist at work. The mans hat
! is red his face and arms are pink. the
! hair and mustache are blue with tinge
of black, the apron and table are yell
low, the trousers green, while his shoes
are blue with tinge of black.
Sentimental valentines are made OF
fancy paper and satin. The plates pass
through the same process as comic.
The handsome highly-perfumcd valen.
tines. which the langushing swain pays
from SO to s. for, are hand-painted. or,
as the superintendent said. touched up.
The touching-up consists of artistically
daubing paint here and there about the
outer surface of the valentine. These
hasty strokes result in flowers. pictues
descriptive OF the billings of turtle
doves and pastoral scenes. The valen-
tine firm employs a poet TO whom il
paws weekly salary. The genius
writes ards upon yards of poetry (')
daily. The firms production of comic
valentines this year include 1000 diff
ferent designs and the same number of
original verses. The poet has. within
/ the past six months. written 1000
comic vers 5. in addition 10 500 verses
of sent mental poetry. IT is said that
valentine poetry is difficult to write,
aud II this be true the composer Of 2,
500 verses. averaging eight lines each,
is entitled TO no little consideration.